BIRTH
About BIRTH
“I am not interested in the ephemeral... I am interested in those things that repeat and repeat and repeat in the lives of the millions.” Thornton Wilder
Pregnancy loss is experienced by a great number of women. What the parents go through is rarely discussed and often considered taboo. It is part of the realm of the ‘unspoken’, or the ‘unvoiced’. It is buried.
Over fifteen months of development we explored the idea of secrets in families, unearthing the parallels between our own lives and the lives of our parents and grandparents. We engaged through interviews and workshops with women and families who have experienced pregnancy loss. We also collaborated with UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffery and Dr Graeme A. Forbes, lecturer in philosophy at the University of Kent, to explore the questions of ‘what is being passed down from one generation to the next’ and ‘when does memory begin’?
BIRTH is the story of Sue, Katherine and Emily, three generations of women from the same family whose lives are part of an invisible web they help to weave. It traces their journey of self-discovery, acceptance and hope.
Duration: 70mins
Age recommendation: 12+
Press
‘Ravishingly beautiful, spellbinding piece of work, performed with panache and utter conviction’ ★★★★★ The Arts Desk
‘BIRTH is nothing short of a masterpiece’ ★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
‘Truly deserved the standing ovation it got, as people were moved to tears and rendered speechless’★★★★★ Broadway Baby
‘Wonderfully human and tremendously moving’★★★★★ Theatre Box
‘Clever and beautiful... a stunning piece of theatre’★★★★★ Fringe Review
‘An emotional story that cries out to be heard... An absolute must-see’ ★★★★★ Mind the Blog
‘An epic dance of life’s ongoing journey’ ★★★★ The Scotsman
‘Arpeggios leap as emotion soar... A quietly charged watch' ★★★★ WhatsOnStage
‘A powerful, pulsating 75 minutes... BIRTH swells and subsides like a symphony’ ★★★★ The Stage
‘Moving, painful and uplifting in equal parts, BIRTH is a sensitive and beautiful exploration of humanity’s most universal experiences’ ★★★★ FEST
‘A masterclass in physical theatre storyteling... feeling like magic to watch’ ★★★★ ThreeWeeks
‘Graceful, poignant and impregnated with hope’ ★★★★ Ed Fest Mag
'Ground-breaking, BIRTH is a must-see masterpiece of physical non-verbal theatre' Luxembourg Times
Nominations and awards at EdFringe 2019:
Winner BEST THEATRE Theatre Weekly
Nominated BEST THEATRE Broadway World
Included in the BEST THEATRE round up by FEST
Included in the BEST THEATRE round up by Theatre Bubble
Features
Interview with Theatre FullStop: Click here
Interview with EFC: Click here
Interview with Broadway World: Click here
Creative Team
Conceived & Directed - Guillaume Pigé
Devised by the Company
Emily - Ludovica Tagariello & Eygló Belafonte
Suzanne - Vyte Garriga
Katherine - Claudia Marciano
George & James - Sam Morris
Sam - Boing Yuen
Composer & Multi-instrumentalist - Alex Judd
Lighting Designer - Katherine Graham
Co-Lighting Designer & Technical Manager - Ross Hayward
Company Stage Manager - Alice Cavanagh
External Advisor - Josephine Tremelling
Rehearsal Director - Eygló Belafonte
Costume & Prop Designer - Malik Ibheis
Costume Maker - Amédine Bello
Dramaturg - Tamara von Werthern
External Curator - Reverend Professor June Boyce-Tillman
Philosopher - Dr Graeme A. Forbes
Scientific Collaborator - Professor Kate Jeffery
Devisors - Louise Wilcox, Eygló Belafonte, Matthew Austin, Claudia Marciano, Stefanie Bruckner, Guillaume Pigé, Alex Judd, Andres Velasquez, Charles Sandford and Vyte Garriga
Past performances
Preview performance, The Point Eastleigh (Eastleigh, 2019)
World Premiere, London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall (London, 2019)
York Theatre Royal (York, 2019)
Latitude Festival, Theatre Arena (Suffolk, 2019)
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Pleasance Beyond (Edinburgh, 2019)
Welsh Tour - Spring 2020
The Fwrnes Carmathenshire Theatres, Richard Burton Theatre Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
England Tour - Autumn 2021
The Courtyard (Hereford), The Civic (Barnsley), The Connaught Theatre (Worthing), The Gulbenkian (Canterbury), Harlow Playhouse (Harlow), Circomedia (Bristol), The Lawrence Batley Theatre (Huddersfield), Lakeside Arts (Nottingham), South Hill Park (Bracknell), The Lowry (Salford)
South Korea - Summer 2023
Wooran Foudation (Seoul)
“I am not interested in the ephemeral... I am interested in those things that repeat and repeat and repeat in the lives of the millions.” Thornton Wilder
Pregnancy loss is experienced by a great number of women. What the parents go through is rarely discussed and often considered taboo. It is part of the realm of the ‘unspoken’, or the ‘unvoiced’. It is buried.
Over fifteen months of development we explored the idea of secrets in families, unearthing the parallels between our own lives and the lives of our parents and grandparents. We engaged through interviews and workshops with women and families who have experienced pregnancy loss. We also collaborated with UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffery and Dr Graeme A. Forbes, lecturer in philosophy at the University of Kent, to explore the questions of ‘what is being passed down from one generation to the next’ and ‘when does memory begin’?
BIRTH is the story of Sue, Katherine and Emily, three generations of women from the same family whose lives are part of an invisible web they help to weave. It traces their journey of self-discovery, acceptance and hope.
Duration: 70mins
Age recommendation: 12+
Press
‘Ravishingly beautiful, spellbinding piece of work, performed with panache and utter conviction’ ★★★★★ The Arts Desk
‘BIRTH is nothing short of a masterpiece’ ★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
‘Truly deserved the standing ovation it got, as people were moved to tears and rendered speechless’★★★★★ Broadway Baby
‘Wonderfully human and tremendously moving’★★★★★ Theatre Box
‘Clever and beautiful... a stunning piece of theatre’★★★★★ Fringe Review
‘An emotional story that cries out to be heard... An absolute must-see’ ★★★★★ Mind the Blog
‘An epic dance of life’s ongoing journey’ ★★★★ The Scotsman
‘Arpeggios leap as emotion soar... A quietly charged watch' ★★★★ WhatsOnStage
‘A powerful, pulsating 75 minutes... BIRTH swells and subsides like a symphony’ ★★★★ The Stage
‘Moving, painful and uplifting in equal parts, BIRTH is a sensitive and beautiful exploration of humanity’s most universal experiences’ ★★★★ FEST
‘A masterclass in physical theatre storyteling... feeling like magic to watch’ ★★★★ ThreeWeeks
‘Graceful, poignant and impregnated with hope’ ★★★★ Ed Fest Mag
'Ground-breaking, BIRTH is a must-see masterpiece of physical non-verbal theatre' Luxembourg Times
Nominations and awards at EdFringe 2019:
Winner BEST THEATRE Theatre Weekly
Nominated BEST THEATRE Broadway World
Included in the BEST THEATRE round up by FEST
Included in the BEST THEATRE round up by Theatre Bubble
Features
Interview with Theatre FullStop: Click here
Interview with EFC: Click here
Interview with Broadway World: Click here
Creative Team
Conceived & Directed - Guillaume Pigé
Devised by the Company
Emily - Ludovica Tagariello & Eygló Belafonte
Suzanne - Vyte Garriga
Katherine - Claudia Marciano
George & James - Sam Morris
Sam - Boing Yuen
Composer & Multi-instrumentalist - Alex Judd
Lighting Designer - Katherine Graham
Co-Lighting Designer & Technical Manager - Ross Hayward
Company Stage Manager - Alice Cavanagh
External Advisor - Josephine Tremelling
Rehearsal Director - Eygló Belafonte
Costume & Prop Designer - Malik Ibheis
Costume Maker - Amédine Bello
Dramaturg - Tamara von Werthern
External Curator - Reverend Professor June Boyce-Tillman
Philosopher - Dr Graeme A. Forbes
Scientific Collaborator - Professor Kate Jeffery
Devisors - Louise Wilcox, Eygló Belafonte, Matthew Austin, Claudia Marciano, Stefanie Bruckner, Guillaume Pigé, Alex Judd, Andres Velasquez, Charles Sandford and Vyte Garriga
Past performances
Preview performance, The Point Eastleigh (Eastleigh, 2019)
World Premiere, London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall (London, 2019)
York Theatre Royal (York, 2019)
Latitude Festival, Theatre Arena (Suffolk, 2019)
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Pleasance Beyond (Edinburgh, 2019)
Welsh Tour - Spring 2020
The Fwrnes Carmathenshire Theatres, Richard Burton Theatre Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
England Tour - Autumn 2021
The Courtyard (Hereford), The Civic (Barnsley), The Connaught Theatre (Worthing), The Gulbenkian (Canterbury), Harlow Playhouse (Harlow), Circomedia (Bristol), The Lawrence Batley Theatre (Huddersfield), Lakeside Arts (Nottingham), South Hill Park (Bracknell), The Lowry (Salford)
South Korea - Summer 2023
Wooran Foudation (Seoul)
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